Luminescent coaster



Jan. 16, 1962 Filed May '7. 1958l M. M. ROSENFELD LUMINESCENT COASTER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTQR. A40/@70N M /POJE/VFEM Emwm Jan. 16, 1962 M. M. RosENFL-:LD 3,017,051

LUMINESCENT COASTER Filed May '7. 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. MU/P/V M. /POJE/VFEM MM H. iam

United States Patent 3,017,051 LUMINESEENT COASTER Morton M. Rosenfeld, 271 Madison Ave., Mount Vernon, N.Y.

Filed May 7, 1958, Ser. No. 733,668 8 Claims. (Cl. 21S-109.5)

The present invention relates to a luminescent coaster, and more particularly to a luminescent coaster which may be readily found by the user in the dark.

The widespread use of television has led to the practice of viewers observing the television screen in substantially complete darkness, particularly during the nighttime. Thus, many viewers iind the presence of direct illumnation in a room in which a television set is being viewed to be objectionable.

Moreover, many persons like to have a glass, or pitcher adjacent their bedside on a night table. In particular, it is relatively common in hospitals and sanitariums to have a glass or pitcher on a night table adjacent a patient.

discs 22 and 24 which are thermosealed or otherwise joined together along their respective outermost edges 26, and are also joined together by an annular joint 28 which is a spaced distance inside the joined outermost edges 26. The discs 22 and 24 are formed from transparent plastic, such as polyethylene, or Celluloid, or other transparent plastic which is capable of being thermosealed and is impervious to the action of liquids.

A circular disc 39 of opaque paper or fabric which is luminescently coated is provided within the annulus formed by the annular joint 2S, such circular disc 36 being sandwiched intermediate discs 22 and 24. Such circular disc 30 is preferably provided with a phosphorescent coating, namely a coating which glows or emits light after excitation due to exposure to light. While phosphorescent coatings are to be preferred, the present invention also comprehends the use of safe autoluminescent It has long proved desirable to provide simple means whereby a person may deposit a glass, such as a glass containing drinking liquid, close to him in a darkened room. This desideratum has been accentuated by the practice of viewing television in virtually absolute darkness, and by the frequent practice of viewing television at late hours with a beverage close at hand.

This invention has as an object the provision` of a luminescent coaster.

This invention has as another object the provision of a luminescent coaster which may be readily located by the user in substantially absolute darkness.

This invention has as another object the provision of a coaster which cannot be capsized.

This invention has as yet a further object the provision of a luminescent coaster which is both highly attractive and relatively cheap to produce.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

For the purpose of illustrating the invention there is shown in the drawings forms which are presently preferred; it being understood, however, that this invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown.

FIGURE l is a plan view of an embodiment of the luminescent coaster of the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view taken on line 2-2 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a plan view, partly broken away, of another embodiment of the luminescent coaster of the present invention.

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view taken on line 4 4 of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 5 is a plan view, partly broken away, of another embodiment of the luminescent coaster of the present invention.

FIGURE 6 is a sectional view taken on line 6-6 of FIGURE 5.

FIGURE 7 is an exploded view revealing the process of forming another luminescent coaster embodiment of the present invention.

FIGURE 8 is a plan View revealing the luminescent coaster embodiment formed by the process indicated in FIGURE 7.

FIGURE 9 is an exploded view of another coaster embodiment revealing the process in which the same is made.

FIGURE l0 is a plan view revealing the coaster embodiment formed by the process of FIGURE 9.

FIGURE ll is a plan view revealing yet another einbodiment of the coaster of the present invention.

Referring to the drawings, and initially to FIGURES l and 2, the coaster shown therein is designated as 20. The coaster 20 comprises a pair of mating mirror image materials. Inasmuch as the circular disc 3d is opaque and is coated with luminescent material on both of its sides, the coaster 20 may be used on either side. The coaster 2() should be of somewhat greater diameter than the diameter of the bottom of the tumbler with which it is to be used, so that a slight misdirection in the positioning of the tumbler will not leave the same olf the coaster 20. Preferably, the bottom of the: tumbler should have a diameter somewhat less than the circle delned by the-annular joint 28, so that the annulus intermediate the outermost joined edges 26 and the annular joint 28 constitutes a margin for error.

The circular disc 30 may be attractively colored. This will produce a coaster 20 which is low in cost, light in Weight, and very durable. The coaster embodiment 32 shown in FIGURES 3 and 4 differs from coaster Ztl shown in FIGURES l and 2 in that in place of the circular disc 30 of opaque luminescent paper there is provided a layer of highly reflective metal foil 34 which is coated with a transparent luminescent layer 36. Aside from the aforesaid change the remainder of the coaster 32 resembles coaster 20, namely the metal foil 34 and transparent luminescent layer 36 are sandwiched intermediate the transparent plastic discs 22 and 24, with the metal foil 34 and transparent luminescent layer 36 being retained in position by the annular joint 2d. As with the coaster embodiment 2d there is no luminescent material intermediate the annular joint 28 and the joined outermost edges 26. In the coaster embodiment 32 only the surface which is viewed when the disc 22 is uppermost will present a luminescent glow. However, the luminescent glow presented by the coaster embodiment 32 is most striking due to the arrangement of the transparent luminescent layer 36 above the metal foil 34.

In the coaster embodiment 33 shown in FIGURES 5 and 6, a circular disc 40 of sponge plastic is provided within the circle defined intermediate the discs 22 and 24 by the annular joint 28. Furthermore, an annulus 42 of sponge plastic is provided intermediate the annular joint 28 and the joined outermost edges 26. A circular disc 44 of opaque paper which is luminescently coated on its surface juxtaposed to the disc 22 is provided intermediate the sponge plastic 4@ and the disc 22.

The coaster 38 will present a luminescent glow only when the circular disc 22 is uppermost. However, this coaster embodiment has the advantage of the great resiliency accorded by the sponge plastic. In the daytime or in `a lighted atmosphere the coaster 3S may be utilized with the disc 24 uppermost, in which case the sponge plastic 40 and the sponge plastic annulus 42 will be presented to the viewer. However, in the dark, the coaster 38 is utilized with the disc 22 uppermost enabling the user to locate the coaster 38 by the glow emitted from the circular disc 44.

In the coaster 46 shown in FIGURES 7 and 8, the circular mirror image transparent discs 22a and 24a are each provided with similar circles of luminescent paint in their center portions. Such circles of luminescent paint are respectively designated 48 and 50 for the circular discs 22a and 24a as seen in FlGURE 7. The circular discs 22e and 24a which are so-coated may be joined together by a clear transparent adhesive, or they may be thermofused together by joining their outermost edges, or by other means for effecting the juncture. In the illustrated embodiment, the circular discs 22a and 24a are thermofused together by the annular joint 28a which is spaced inwardly from the joined outermost edges 26a of the circular discs 22a and 24a. The coaster 46 may be used in the dark with either face uppermost.

ln 4the coaster embodiment 52 shown in FIGURES 9 and 10, the transparent circular discs 22h and 2451, which are mirror images of each other, are each provided with an annulus of luminescent paint, namely the annulus 54 on circular disc ZZb and the annulus 56 on circular disc 24h. The circular discs 22b and 24h may be joined together by a clear adhesive, or by other means. ln the illustrated embodiment the circular discs 22b and 24h are joined together by thermofusing their outermost edges at 26h and by the thermofused annular joint 28h spaced inwardly from the thermofused joint at 26h.

The coaster 52 presents a striking appearance in the dark, as it constitutes a luminescent annulus which serves as an indicator for the receipt of the users tumbler.

In the coaster embodiment 58 shown in FIGURE l1, the construction is generally that of the coaster embodiment 46 shown in FIGURES 7 and 8 except that in place of the circles of luminescent paint 48 and 5G there are provided a plurality of concentric luminescent circles spaced from each other by non-luminescent spacing circles. The coaster 58 presents a bullseye appearance in the dark, and is most striking.

The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof and, accordingly, reference should be made to the appended claims, rather than to the foregoing specification as indicating the scope of the invention.

l claim:

1. A coaster including a pair of mating identical circular dat transparent plastic disks, said disks being joined together at their peripheral edges and by an annular seam spaced from their peripheral edges, and a flat circular opaque phosphorescent material disposed intermediate said disks Within said annular seam.

2. A coaster in accordance with claim 1 in which the phosphorescent material comprises paper coated with a phosphorescent substance.

3. A coaster in accordance with claim 1 in which the phosphorescent material comprises a phosphorescent paint.

4. A coaster in accordance with claim l in which the phosphorescent material comprises a reilector coated with a layer of phosphorescent material on one of its faces.

5. A coaster in accordance With claim 1 in which an elastomeric circular flat disk is disposed intermediate the transparent plastic disks and within the annular seam juxtaposed to the phosphorescent material.

6. A coaster in accordance with claim l in which the llat circular opaque phosphorescent material is disposed as a plurality of concentric circles.

7. A coaster including a pair of mating identical circular at transparent plastic disks, said disks being joined together at their peripheral edges and by an annular seam spaced from their peripheral edges, and a flat annular opaque phosphorescent material disposed intermediate said disks and intermediate said annular seam and the joined peripheral edges of said disks.

8. A coaster including a pair of mating identical flat impervious plastic disks entirely joined together along their outer portions by a thermofused joint, at least one of said disks being transparent, and a flat opaque phosphorescent material disposed intermediate said disks whereby the luminescence of said material is visible through said one transparent disk.

References Cited in the t-lle of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS erf-lar. 

8. A COASTER INCLUDING A PAIR OF MATING IDENTICAL FLAT IMPERVIOUS PLASTIC DISKS ENTIRELY JOINED TOGETHER ALONG THEIR OUTER PORTIONS BY A THERMOFUSED JOINT, AT LEAST ONE OF SAID DISKS BEING TRANSPARENT, AND A FLAT OPAQUE PHOSPHORESCENT MATERIAL DISPOSED INTERMEDIATE SAID DISKS WHEREBY THE LUMINESCENCE OF SAID MATERIAL IS VISIBLE THROUGH SAID ONE TRANSPARENT DISK. 